01Section 1
The Words of the Prayer
- "Lord" — acknowledges the sovereignty of Christ.
- "Jesus Christ" — names the Person who is both human and divine.
- "Son of God" — confesses His divinity and His eternal relationship with the Father.
- "Have mercy on me" — expresses repentance, trust, and total dependence on God.
- "A sinner" — the humility of honest self-knowledge before God.
02Section 2
How is the Jesus Prayer Practiced?
- It is prayed continuously throughout the day, often coordinated with breathing.
- A prayer rope (chotki or komboskini) is used to count repetitions and maintain focus.
- Under a spiritual father's guidance, the prayer can be practiced as a formal discipline.
- The goal is for the prayer to descend from the mind into the heart — the hesychast ideal.
03Section 3
Biblical and Patristic Roots
- The prayer draws on the Bartimaeus cry: 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of David, have mercy on me' (Mark 10:47).
- St. Paul's command to 'pray without ceasing' (1 Thess 5:17) is its scriptural anchor.
- The Philokalia, a collection of patristic writings, is the primary source for hesychast teaching on the prayer.
- St. Gregory Palamas defended the hesychast practice in the 14th century.
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